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

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bass — low music
  9. date — the fruit
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hand — in cards
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hand — help

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