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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — a tool
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cue — a hint
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rash — hasty
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to click
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pop — soda
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rash — a series
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. perch — for a bird

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