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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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468
Word bank
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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. object — a thing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — to protest
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — letters
  15. object — an aim
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spell — magic
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rash — a series
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — a part of something

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