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

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lean — to bend
  11. perch — the fish
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. last — finally
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lean — thin

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