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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. craft — boats
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  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