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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bat — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — to grow
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. race — the arms race
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. charge — in control
  24. toast — bread

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