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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. object — an aim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. object — a thing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. object — to protest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pop — music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pop — soda
  24. vault — a safe

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