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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. toast — bread

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