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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stand — to bear
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bay — a horse colour

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