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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rule — a law
  3. perch — the fish
  4. row — a line
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mug — a cup
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mug — a face
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — help
  13. board — a committee
  14. hand — in cards
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rule — government
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rule — to rule out

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