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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. land — ground
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pop — soda
  8. land — to come down
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cold — not warm
  11. board — a committee
  12. rush — hurry
  13. root — the cause
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pop — music
  20. root — of a word
  21. land — a country
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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