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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — the fish
  3. present — the time now
  4. drill — army training
  5. present — a gift
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. present — there
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. drill — the tool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stem — to come from
  19. staff — employees
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. drill — a practice
  24. staff — employees

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