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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wax — to grow
  3. clip — for paper
  4. root — the cause
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — the fish
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — a coil
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. root — of a word
  17. clip — a video
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spring — of water
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bulb — for light
  24. clip — to cut

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