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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — of water
  5. season — of the year
  6. stand — to bear
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rash — a series
  9. spring — the season
  10. band — a ring
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. band — a music group
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spring — a coil
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. season — in sport

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