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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. wake — a trail
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. plane — a tool
  8. clip — for paper
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — of the year
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. clip — a video
  22. perch — the fish
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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