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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — to come down
  6. object — an aim
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. object — a thing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — a line
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. land — a country
  16. object — to protest
  17. fall — the season
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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