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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — certain
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. perch — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. march — music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fall — the season
  24. row — a line

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