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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pit — a hole
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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