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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — the season
  6. spell — magic
  7. vault — a safe
  8. swing — in golf
  9. spell — a short time
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spring — of water
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — to play on
  15. spell — letters
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. spring — a coil
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. face — to point toward
  22. swing — music
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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