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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. perch — the fish
  8. toast — bread
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chest — a box
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — a grade
  24. patient — a sick person

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