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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kid — to tease
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — a break
  8. season — of the year
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kid — child
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spring — the season
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rest — what's left

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