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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — in sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. can — a tin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — finally
  10. swing — in golf
  11. perch — the fish
  12. last — to go on
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. last — final
  16. swing — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. can — a tin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wave — with your hand

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