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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. roll — a list
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. current — of water
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cold — not warm
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. roll — a cake
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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