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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 120 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: tube · foot · rule · bay · leaves · perch · wind · saw

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. perch — the fish
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wind — moving air
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — a container
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. foot — a measure
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rule — government
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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