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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — to grow
  5. key — the most important part
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — boats
  13. wound — an injury
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — an injury
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. key — in music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. perch — for a bird

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