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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.

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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — in golf
  4. race — humankind
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. land — ground
  8. swing — to play on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mug — a face
  11. race — the arms race
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mug — a cup
  14. land — a country
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. land — to come down
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. swing — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — to grow
  24. race — a contest

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