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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. perch — the fish
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mate — a partner
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. degree — temperature
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. degree — from a university
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mate — to breed

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