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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tear — from crying
  5. craft — boats
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cue — a hint
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lean — thin
  23. tear — to rip
  24. prune — to trim

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