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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: bay · wound · snap · racket · rash · race · suit · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. race — a contest
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. suit — in cards
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rash — hasty
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rash — a series
  21. race — humankind
  22. suit — to fit
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wound — an injury

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