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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. drill — a practice
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. drill — army training
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — electric
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wind — moving air

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