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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wind — moving air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. craft — a skill
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wound — an injury
  17. craft — boats
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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