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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 116 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cap — of ice
  24. sharp — with an edge

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