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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wind — moving air
  3. sharp — clever
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bass — low music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. season — in sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — a tin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bass — the fish
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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