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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. key — in music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. key — the most important part
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. toast — bread
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. hide — animal skin

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