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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.

Words on the sheet
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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. perch — the fish
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. kid — to tease
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pound — a weight
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. charge — a price
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. charge — electricity
  18. kid — child
  19. squash — to crush
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. charge — in control
  24. straw — a straw man

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