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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 116 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 the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. craft — boats
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. craft — a skill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — to go on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — to drop
  12. content — the amount
  13. last — final
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — finally
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fall — the season
  20. content — happy
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — a trainer

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