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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.

Words on the sheet
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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. perch — the fish
  4. degree — temperature
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. craft — boats
  7. degree — an amount
  8. craft — a skill
  9. degree — from a university
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fine — all right
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cell — in biology
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. safe — out of danger

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