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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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. bat — for baseball
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cue — a signal
  11. band — a music group
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a ring
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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