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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. last — final
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. toast — bread
  13. band — a music group
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. last — to go on
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. last — finally
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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