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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. perch — the fish
  4. last — to go on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bound — obliged
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. mark — a grade
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — certain
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bound — tied together
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. land — to come down
  20. last — finally
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. last — final

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