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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mine — for digging
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wind — moving air

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