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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. perch — the fish
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. kick — in football
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. scale — in music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. branch — a division
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — animal skin

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