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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — a company
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. firm — steady
  7. track — a path
  8. land — a country
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. wind — moving air
  14. land — ground
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a song
  20. firm — decided
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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