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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bass — low music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bank — for money
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bank — of a river
  18. game — a match
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — lets stay

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