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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lean — thin
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. court — of law
  14. suit — clothes
  15. court — for sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. suit — in cards
  21. court — of a king
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bark — to shout

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