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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wax — to grow
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — hurry
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spell — letters
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spell — magic
  24. hide — animal skin

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