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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · cold · wake · perch · net · cabinet · craft · spring

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. spring — the season
  4. perch — the fish
  5. spring — a coil
  6. net — for catching
  7. craft — boats
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — in sport
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. net — after costs
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — of water
  21. pass — a permit
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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