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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. object — an aim
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. net — after costs
  6. object — to protest
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. net — for catching
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. perch — the fish
  19. net — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mug — a face
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — a thrill

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