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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. season — of the year
  3. march — the month
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — in sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. perch — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — to recline
  22. branch — a division
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lie — an untruth

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