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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: perch · wake · bore · row · stick · bat · wave · key

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. key — the most important part
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. key — for a lock
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. key — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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