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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. drill — army training
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bass — low music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — for digging
  22. drill — a practice
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — certain

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