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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. staff — employees
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. staff — a stick
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hand — help
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. hand — in cards
  23. perch — the fish
  24. branch — a division

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