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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.

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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. race — a contest
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. object — a thing
  8. rock — music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. object — an aim
  15. land — a country
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. land — ground
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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