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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. perch — the fish
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — a lid
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cap — of ice
  11. craft — a skill
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. craft — boats
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cap — a hat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spell — letters
  24. hide — animal skin

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