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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. season — in sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. craft — boats
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mate — a partner
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cap — a hat
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. dip — to sink
  15. perch — the fish
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. season — of the year
  21. cap — of ice
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a handicraft

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