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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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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — the cause
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a great time
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — the fish
  14. root — of a word
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spell — a short time
  19. board — a committee
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spell — magic

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