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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. craft — boats
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bark — to shout
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — of the year
  16. craft — a skill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. face — to point toward
  21. dip — to sink
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. season — in sport

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