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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 116 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — finally
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bank — of a river
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. last — final
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. plane — a tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — an aircraft

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