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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. march — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bat — the animal
  11. current — electric
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. drill — the tool
  16. current — of water
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. march — the month
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. march — the month
  24. perch — for a bird

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