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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — rain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bound — obliged
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bound — certain
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. object — an aim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — a trace
  19. sharp — clever
  20. object — a thing
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. object — to protest

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