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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: cap · snap · perch · firm · rest · key · wave · ground

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. snap — to click
  10. ground — a position
  11. key — for a lock
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cap — a lid
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ground — the earth
  21. firm — decided
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rest — a break

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