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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ground — a position
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ground — crushed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ground — the earth

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