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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cue — a hint
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — to confront
  6. cue — a signal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mate — a friend
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. clip — a video
  13. net — in sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — for catching
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cue — for pool
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. clip — to cut
  24. face — part of the head

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