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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. shower — to wash
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. spell — a short time
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — a series
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — a law
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. shower — rain
  22. rule — government
  23. spell — magic
  24. racket — for tennis

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