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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 common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. band — a ring
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. season — in sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — a safe
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a music group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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