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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. deal — to handle
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. current — of water
  10. firm — decided
  11. current — happening now
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — a company
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. season — in sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cell — a phone
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. current — electric
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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