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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pop — to visit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rest — a break
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pop — soda
  22. last — to go on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — final

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