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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. spring — a coil
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spring — of water
  19. perch — the fish
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spring — the season

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