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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. kid — to tease
  3. perch — the fish
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. track — to keep track
  6. object — a thing
  7. track — a song
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. object — to protest
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. track — a path
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — child
  21. object — an aim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. toast — bread

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