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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. squash — to crush
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. file — a tool
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. file — a line of people
  15. squash — the sport
  16. branch — a division
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. season — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — of the year
  22. perch — the fish
  23. file — a document
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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