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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ground — the earth
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chair — a leader
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. snap — to click
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. perch — the fish

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