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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. perch — the fish
  3. face — to confront
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — to recline
  7. land — ground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stock — goods
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. land — a country
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. face — part of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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