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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. present — there
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — a gift
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bound — certain
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. present — the time now
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wave — of the sea

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