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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — thin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wake — a trail
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — moving air
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mate — to breed

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