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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. object — an aim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cold — not warm
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a line
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. object — a thing
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cold — an illness
  24. object — to protest

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