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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. rest — a break
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bank — of a river
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. scale — for weighing

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