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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.

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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. foot — a measure
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. firm — decided
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — steady
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chip — for betting

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