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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. snap — to click
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. perch — the fish
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. dip — a sauce

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