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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rush — hurry
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. can — a tin
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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