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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rash — a series
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mug — to rob
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mug — a face
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bark — to shout
  21. toast — bread
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wave — with your hand

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