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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · bore · cold · perch · wave · cap · object · toast

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. object — an aim
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. toast — bread
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bore — to drill
  20. object — to protest
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. object — a thing
  24. cold — an illness

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