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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wake — a trail
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. content — the amount
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. branch — a division
  24. content — happy

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