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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lean — thin
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bass — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. perch — the fish
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lean — to bend
  24. perch — for a bird

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