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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lean — thin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. craft — a skill
  11. track — a song
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — to bend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — a path
  23. spring — of water
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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