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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. last — finally
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pitch — completely
  16. last — to go on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — in music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wave — with your hand

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