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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. firm — a company
  3. rest — what's left
  4. shower — rain
  5. rest — a break
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — steady
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pop — soda
  12. perch — the fish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wind — moving air
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. firm — decided
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pop — music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pop — to visit

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