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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mug — a face
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. season — of the year
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mug — to rob
  8. field — a subject
  9. mug — a cup
  10. perch — the fish
  11. drill — army training
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. field — farmland
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — in sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — a grade

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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