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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. swing — to play on
  6. last — final
  7. can — a tin
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — music
  23. can — to be able to
  24. last — finally

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