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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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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — to bear
  3. perch — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. spell — magic
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — in cards
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. spell — letters
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. land — ground
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spell — a short time
  22. suit — to fit
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mouse — the animal

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