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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bore — to drill
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fine — all right
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fall — the season
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fall — to drop
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — music

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