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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. clip — a video
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to click
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rash — a series
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. clip — for paper
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. perch — the fish
  24. squash — the sport

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