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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ground — a position
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. kid — child
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — to tease
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ground — the earth
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  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