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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. shower — rain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — a stone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — after costs
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — of the year
  21. net — for catching
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. net — in sport

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