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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. ground — crushed
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ground — a position
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. last — final
  24. pass — a permit

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