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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — the fish
  12. drill — army training
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rock — music

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