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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. march — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cap — a hat
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — a lid
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. squash — the sport

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