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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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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: leaves · can · squash · perch · fall · net · cell · bay

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — the season
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. net — for catching
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — to be able to
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. net — in sport
  21. cell — a phone
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — the fish
  24. net — after costs

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