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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. ball — a dance
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — for a bird

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