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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. object — a thing
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. object — to protest
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. object — an aim
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. clip — to cut
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rash — a series

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