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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ground — the earth
  14. scale — size or range
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. snap — to click

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