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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — ground
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. land — a country
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. season — in sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. land — to come down
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — of the year
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wake — a trail

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