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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. perch — the fish
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. shower — rain
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cap — a hat
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rock — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cap — a lid
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wake — a trail

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