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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — a container
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wax — to grow
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fork — in a road
  22. land — a country
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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