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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. can — to be able to
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lean — thin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. drill — a practice
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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