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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: perch · deal · bay · last · mug · jam · bank · tear

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — to handle
  11. last — to go on
  12. bank — of a river
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. last — final
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mug — to rob
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. last — finally
  23. tear — from crying
  24. perch — the fish

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