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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — the fish
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — a trail
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. saw — the tool
  19. season — in sport
  20. capital — money
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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