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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cue — a hint
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — in sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — child
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. perch — the fish

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