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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. current — of water
  3. lean — thin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — happening now
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lean — to bend
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. craft — boats
  21. season — of the year
  22. mine — for digging
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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