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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bound — certain
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — obliged
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bound — tied together

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