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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rash — a series
  12. kick — in football
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — a line
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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