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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tear — to rip
  10. foot — a measure
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. tear — from crying
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. content — the amount
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tear — from crying
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — the fish
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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