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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lean — to bend
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mate — a friend
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. field — a subject
  18. mate — to breed
  19. season — of the year
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — a trail

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