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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. last — final
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spring — the season
  8. last — finally
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. staff — a stick
  15. perch — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. row — a line
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. row — to paddle
  23. craft — a skill
  24. last — to go on

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