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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. race — a contest
  3. suit — clothes
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — to point toward
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. race — the arms race
  10. face — part of the head
  11. season — in sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. perch — the fish
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. spring — of water
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. season — to add flavour

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