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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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468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. track — to keep track
  4. season — of the year
  5. track — a path
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mug — a face
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rest — a break
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fine — all right
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fine — high quality
  22. season — in sport
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. track — a song

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