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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mate — a partner
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. object — to protest
  7. mate — a friend
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. object — an aim
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. land — a country
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. land — to come down
  22. object — a thing
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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