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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.

Make a worksheet

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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. game — a match
  9. wax — to grow
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. march — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — the month
  19. foot — a measure
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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