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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. board — to get on
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pop — to visit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a committee
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a list
  22. pop — soda
  23. spring — of water
  24. ruler — for measuring

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