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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — in football
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. season — of the year
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bear — to put up with

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