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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.

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: tube · season · perch · kick · bear · scale · saw · deal

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. season — of the year
  23. scale — size or range
  24. season — to add flavour

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