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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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. perch — the fish
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. current — of water
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. rest — a break
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bore — to tire

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