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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — the fish
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to click
  12. court — of a king
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bank — for money
  19. court — for sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. court — of law
  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