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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ball — a great time
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. track — a song
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. track — a path
  13. dip — to sink
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a dance
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fall — to drop

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