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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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. perch — the fish
  4. last — to go on
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — happy
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. content — the amount
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. last — finally
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fall — the season
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. suit — clothes
  21. last — final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wave — of the sea

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