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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. current — happening now
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — in sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — of water
  13. season — of the year
  14. present — there
  15. toast — bread
  16. present — the time now
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. present — a gift
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. current — electric
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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