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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mate — a friend
  3. race — a contest
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mate — a partner
  7. object — an aim
  8. firm — decided
  9. race — humankind
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. object — to protest
  12. drill — the tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. firm — steady
  15. mate — to breed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. race — the arms race
  20. firm — a company
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. drill — army training
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. drill — a practice

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