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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.

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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. clip — a video
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mark — a grade
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — a trace
  8. clip — to cut
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a music group
  11. land — to come down
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. land — ground
  18. band — a ring
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. land — a country
  24. perch — the fish

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