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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. firm — steady
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pop — soda
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. march — music
  9. firm — decided
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cell — in biology
  12. march — the month
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. march — the month
  18. pop — music
  19. snap — to click
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. firm — a company
  24. pop — to visit

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