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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stem — to come from
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — the tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. firm — a company
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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