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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kid — to tease
  7. firm — steady
  8. chest — a box
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. firm — decided
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — the earth
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kid — child
  15. staff — employees
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. firm — a company
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chest — of your body

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