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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. swing — music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. staff — employees
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. swing — in golf
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — to drill

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