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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. hand — help
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. band — a ring
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. band — a music group
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — thin
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mug — a face
  17. spell — a short time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — to bend
  23. perch — the fish
  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