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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. perch — the fish
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — child
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. row — a line
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — to tease
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. key — in music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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