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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: content · wake · wave · wind · pitcher · pass · perch · face

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. content — the amount
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. face — to confront
  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