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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. current — electric
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. current — of water
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. suit — to fit
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cold — an illness
  20. current — happening now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. arm — a part of something
  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