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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — to trim
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pop — soda
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rash — hasty
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pop — music
  22. rash — a series
  23. pop — to visit
  24. suit — in cards

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