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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rule — a law
  4. wind — moving air
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rule — government
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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