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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ground — a position
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. content — the amount
  17. ground — the earth
  18. content — happy
  19. mate — a friend
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a grade
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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