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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lie — to recline
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. march — the month
  22. bound — certain
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — a horse colour

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