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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. season — in sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fine — all right
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — the animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bank — of a river
  20. object — a thing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wax — for sculpting

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