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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. club — a group
  9. suit — clothes
  10. shower — rain
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cold — an illness
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — a hole
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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