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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.

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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. game — a match
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — wild animals
  15. face — part of the head
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. perch — the fish
  19. spell — letters
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stand — to bear
  24. perch — for a bird

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