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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spell — a short time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. bound — certain
  7. wax — to grow
  8. degree — temperature
  9. club — for dancing
  10. shower — to wash
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. degree — an amount
  16. spell — magic
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spell — letters
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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