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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — in sport
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fine — all right
  8. perch — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chair — a leader
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fine — high quality

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