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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. march — the month
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rule — a law
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. clip — to cut
  16. march — music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rule — government
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mug — a cup
  23. perch — for a bird
  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