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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. snap — to click
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. season — in sport
  24. perch — the fish

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