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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — a break
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fine — all right
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kid — child
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wave — of the sea

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