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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rock — music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. saw — the tool

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