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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. last — to go on
  3. game — a match
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bass — the fish
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bass — low music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rash — a series
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. last — final

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