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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — a thing
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. object — to protest
  12. spring — the season
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — the fish
  19. present — there
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spring — of water
  23. chair — a professorship
  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