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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bass — the fish
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a leader
  10. craft — a skill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bass — low music
  15. club — a group
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. craft — boats
  19. club — for dancing
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. club — for golf
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chair — to sit on

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