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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.

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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. object — an aim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. perch — the fish
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. pit — in a race
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fine — high quality
  12. root — of a plant
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fine — all right
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wax — to grow
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — a thing

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