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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. staff — a stick
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. row — a line
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — a break
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — in sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — to add flavour

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