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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. snap — to click
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. net — after costs
  7. court — of law
  8. net — for catching
  9. mug — a face
  10. court — of a king
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mug — a cup
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rash — a series
  22. net — in sport
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — for sport

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