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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hand — in cards
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. club — for dancing
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hand — help
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. club — for golf
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. drill — army training
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. drill — a practice
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. perch — the fish

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