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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — in golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. press — to push
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — size or range
  17. swing — music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. scale — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — to play on
  24. sharp — exactly

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