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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rule — government
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — a thing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. object — to protest
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. tear — from crying
  18. object — an aim
  19. snap — to click
  20. dip — to sink
  21. content — the amount
  22. tear — to rip
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — happy

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