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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wound — an injury
  8. last — finally
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. suit — clothes
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. snap — to click
  14. last — final
  15. suit — to fit
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. tear — from crying
  18. perch — the fish
  19. row — to paddle
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a line
  23. last — to go on
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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