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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pop — music
  7. drill — army training
  8. pop — to visit
  9. spring — a coil
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. drill — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spring — of water
  16. pop — soda
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spring — the season
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ruler — for measuring

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