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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. root — of a word
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — a line
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wax — to grow
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. root — the cause
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mine — for digging
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — the month
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wax — for sculpting

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