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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. drill — army training
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a music group
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — in sport
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mug — to rob
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — of the year
  24. cap — a hat

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