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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — to wash
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cell — a phone
  11. press — to push
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. roll — a list
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. shower — rain
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. roll — on a roll
  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