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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: cell · wave · bowl · hand · perch · cap · root · craft

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hand — help
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. craft — boats
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cap — a lid
  16. root — of a word
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. root — the cause
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cap — of ice
  24. perch — for a bird

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