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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. present — there
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. present — a gift
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — thin
  8. firm — a company
  9. ball — a great time
  10. firm — steady
  11. capital — a city
  12. lean — to bend
  13. present — the time now
  14. shower — rain
  15. perch — the fish
  16. capital — money
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ball — a dance
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. shower — to wash
  22. firm — decided
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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