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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. field — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. field — farmland
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mine — for digging
  16. field — a subject
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. arm — part of the body

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