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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a dance
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. face — to confront
  15. perch — the fish
  16. face — part of the head
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mug — a face
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. plane — a tool

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