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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lean — thin
  16. drill — army training
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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