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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. drill — army training
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bound — tied together
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — for pool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bound — certain
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ball — a round shape

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