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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. chair — a leader
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rest — a break
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rest — what's left

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