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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. season — of the year
  3. chest — a box
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cap — a hat
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. chest — of your body
  8. content — the amount
  9. cap — a lid
  10. firm — a company
  11. cap — of ice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. firm — steady
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. season — in sport
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chest — of your body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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