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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. kick — in football
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cold — not warm
  10. drill — army training
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bay — a horse colour

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