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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. toast — bread
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wake — a trail
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. season — of the year
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. swing — music

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