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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. firm — decided
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. band — a ring
  7. tear — to rip
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — steady
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rash — a series
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. firm — a company
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wake — a trail
  19. band — a music group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to sink

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