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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pop — soda
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pop — music
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to click
  24. date — on the calendar

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