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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — the fish
  6. scale — in music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. perch — for a bird

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