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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. clip — for paper
  3. field — a subject
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spring — of water
  6. clip — to cut
  7. field — farmland
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. firm — decided
  12. clip — a video
  13. firm — steady
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — a company
  16. spring — a coil
  17. object — an aim
  18. spring — the season
  19. cap — a hat
  20. field — for sport
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. perch — the fish
  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