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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. club — for dancing
  3. present — the time now
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. club — for golf
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lie — to recline
  12. root — of a word
  13. wax — to grow
  14. club — a group
  15. root — of a plant
  16. present — a gift
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. root — the cause
  20. scale — in music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — there
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — size or range

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