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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. spell — magic
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — soda
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — boats
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rock — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. craft — a skill
  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