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

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chest — a box
  19. object — to protest
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chest — of your body
  22. march — music
  23. snap — to click
  24. march — the month

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