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

Word bank: cap · season · perch · mate · toast · hide · club · wake

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wake — a trail
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — of the year
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. season — in sport
  8. club — a group
  9. mate — a friend
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — of ice
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a lid
  19. club — for golf
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mate — a partner
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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