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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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Word bank
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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: cabinet · wave · staff · mug · clip · last · saw · perch

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. staff — a stick
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — finally
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mug — a face
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. last — final
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. last — to go on
  22. clip — a video
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cabinet — ministers

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