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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 116 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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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bound — tied together
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spell — a short time
  14. drill — the tool
  15. season — of the year
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. spell — letters
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — low music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kick — in football
  24. bound — certain

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