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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. perch — the fish
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mate — a partner
  8. vault — a safe
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — a friend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mate — to breed
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — in sport
  24. bulb — for light

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