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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · date · last · bat · object · rash · hide · wave

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. object — a thing
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — to go on
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. perch — the fish
  22. object — an aim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — the animal

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