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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spring — a coil
  4. clip — a video
  5. perch — the fish
  6. squash — the sport
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. suit — in cards
  9. clip — for paper
  10. season — in sport
  11. suit — to fit
  12. season — of the year
  13. spring — of water
  14. bank — for money
  15. squash — to crush
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. spring — the season
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bank — of a river
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — to cut

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com