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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. march — music
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. object — a thing
  10. foot — a measure
  11. march — the month
  12. object — an aim
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. object — to protest
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mug — a cup
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. perch — the fish

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