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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — a break
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. field — a subject
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rest — what's left
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. field — for sport
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. field — farmland
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — for money

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