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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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Word bank
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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: bay · perch · wave · saw · mug · mark · lie · last

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. last — to go on
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mark — a grade
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — a cup
  15. last — final
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mug — to rob
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — finally
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — to pay attention

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