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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — a permit
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spring — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — a measure

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