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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. land — a country
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. land — to come down
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — there
  10. land — ground
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. row — a line
  17. drill — army training
  18. present — the time now
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. present — a gift
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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