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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 124 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lean — to bend
  3. perch — the fish
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — in sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. craft — boats
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. season — in sport
  20. lean — thin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pass — to succeed
  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