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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. perch — the fish
  8. spring — a coil
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. vault — a safe
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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