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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It's one 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. rock — to move gently
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cap — a hat
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rock — a stone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — to go on
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pound — a weight
  12. sharp — clever
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. last — final
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rock — music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. last — finally
  22. perch — the fish
  23. sharp — exactly
  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