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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wake — a trail
  7. current — of water
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bound — tied together
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rest — a break
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bound — certain
  19. bat — the animal
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bound — obliged

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