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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rash — a series
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. snap — to click
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mate — a partner

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