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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a tool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. file — a document
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — the most important part
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bark — to shout
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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