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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. roll — a cake
  3. fall — to drop
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. roll — a list
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — for digging
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — for light
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — the season
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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