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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hand — help
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — electricity
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — the fish
  9. charge — in control
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spring — of water
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — a price
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — to paddle

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