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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wax — to grow
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rule — government
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rule — a law
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. perch — for a bird

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