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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — the sport
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. last — to go on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. last — final
  24. mouse — the animal

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