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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 124 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bass — low music
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bass — the fish
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — of the year
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — in music
  24. perch — for a bird

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