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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bear — the animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. file — a tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. deal — to handle
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. file — a document
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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