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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. last — to go on
  10. ball — a dance
  11. spring — the season
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spring — of water
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. last — finally
  18. spring — a coil
  19. perch — the fish
  20. last — final
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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