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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chest — a box
  11. ground — a position
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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