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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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. arm — a part of something
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. firm — decided
  6. ground — a position
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wax — to grow
  9. swing — in golf
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. firm — a company
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — steady
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — a trail

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