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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — finally
  4. board — a committee
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. board — to get on
  7. land — a country
  8. mug — to rob
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fall — to drop
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. march — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. last — final
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fall — the season
  22. mug — a face
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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