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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bear — the animal
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rock — a stone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — thin
  17. rock — music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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