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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — a song
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hand — help
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — in cards
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spring — of water
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. spring — a coil
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. track — a path
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — with your hand

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