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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — a contest
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mate — a friend
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. race — humankind
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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