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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · snap · fork · bay · wind · rash · fan · perch

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rash — a series
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. snap — to click
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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