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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fall — to drop
  6. track — a path
  7. fall — the season
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. firm — a company
  10. spell — letters
  11. fall — to drop
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — the amount
  16. firm — steady
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. firm — decided
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spell — magic

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