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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 116 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mate — a partner
  12. club — a group
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mate — a friend
  17. club — for golf
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mate — to breed
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

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