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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. can — a tin
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — of law
  13. tear — from crying
  14. court — of a king
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. court — for sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mine — for digging
  24. perch — the fish

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