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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — high quality
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fine — all right
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — to put up with

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