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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chest — of your body
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. snap — to click
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — a box
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. leaves — to go away

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