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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. can — a tin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a line of people
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. perch — the fish
  13. can — to be able to
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. file — a document
  18. wind — moving air
  19. file — a tool
  20. land — a country
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wind — moving air
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. perch — for a bird

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