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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: suit · ground · perch · tube · chest · wave · season · wake

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ground — a position
  6. chest — of your body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chest — a box
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ground — the earth
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. season — of the year
  21. perch — the fish
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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