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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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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: rest · sharp · ball · perch · band · bay · hide · present

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — the fish
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rest — a break
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. band — a music group
  16. present — there
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — clever
  20. present — a gift
  21. band — a ring
  22. present — the time now
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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