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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. roll — a list
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. suit — in cards
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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