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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. object — to protest
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spell — a short time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kid — child
  7. spell — magic
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spell — letters
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. perch — the fish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kid — to tease
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — to recline
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. object — a thing
  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