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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: wave · snap · fine · perch · leaves · ball · lie · club

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. club — a group
  3. fine — all right
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fine — high quality
  9. snap — to click
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ball — a dance
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. club — for golf
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — for dancing

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