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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stem — to come from
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — letters
  21. tube — a container
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — in a tire

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