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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — the fish
  5. track — a path
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. mark — a grade
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — a song
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — out of danger

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