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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pop — soda
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wound — an injury
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lean — thin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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