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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. key — for a lock
  3. capital — money
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. shower — rain
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. key — in music
  14. capital — a city
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — to crush
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. perch — the fish
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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