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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. root — of a word
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. root — the cause
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. root — of a plant
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ruler — for measuring

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