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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chip — to eat
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spell — magic
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. club — for golf
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. club — a group
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lean — thin

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