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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rest — what's left
  8. perch — the fish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — in cards
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. drill — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — to fit
  21. drill — army training
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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