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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. perch — the fish
  3. key — in music
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. swing — music
  8. mug — to rob
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. key — the most important part
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mug — a face
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. swing — to play on
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mug — a cup
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. shower — rain

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