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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.

Make a worksheet

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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. season — in sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. date — the fruit
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. season — of the year
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. perch — the fish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. date — on the calendar

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