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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — a city
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. clip — to cut
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. capital — money
  24. hide — to keep secret

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