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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · bay · jam · perch · suit · lie · bore · last

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. perch — the fish
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. suit — in cards
  9. last — to go on
  10. band — a music group
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — to recline
  15. suit — clothes
  16. last — final
  17. band — a ring
  18. suit — to fit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. last — finally
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. lie — an untruth

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