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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: wake · bay · track · tear · perch · toast · squash · fan

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. toast — bread
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wake — a trail
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tear — from crying
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tear — from crying

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