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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: cap · season · leaves · perch · lie · pitcher · cold · club

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. perch — the fish
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. club — a group
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lie — to recline
  21. season — in sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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