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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — a trail
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bear — the animal

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