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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rock — a stone
  9. race — a contest
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bound — tied together
  16. race — humankind
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bound — certain
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. snap — to click
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bound — obliged

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