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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. season — in sport
  7. present — the time now
  8. craft — boats
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — what's left
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — a skill
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rest — a break
  21. season — of the year
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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