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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. perch — the fish
  9. hand — help
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rash — a series
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fork — in a road
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ground — a position
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hand — in cards

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