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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wind — moving air
  7. board — a committee
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cue — for pool
  14. board — to get on
  15. tube — a container
  16. cue — a signal
  17. track — a path
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — the fish
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wave — of the sea

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