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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pop — soda
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pop — to visit
  13. last — finally
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. last — to go on
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. last — final
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — with your hand

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