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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — a company
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rash — hasty
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — to get on
  17. rash — a series
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. drill — a practice

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