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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — to rob
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. season — of the year
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — to recline
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bark — of a tree

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