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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — moving air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. perch — the fish
  10. season — of the year
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. season — in sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. can — a tin
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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