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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a path
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mug — a cup
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bore — to tire
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mug — a face
  20. track — a song
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pound — to hit hard

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