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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. drill — army training
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. perch — the fish
  9. squash — to crush
  10. drill — the tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. drill — a practice
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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