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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: tear · ground · perch · mug · bulb · wave · arm · kid

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ground — the earth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ground — a position
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tear — from crying
  12. kid — child
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mug — a face
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wave — of the sea

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