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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. file — a line of people
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. perch — the fish
  20. file — a tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a document
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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