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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 124 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. last — finally
  3. perch — the fish
  4. firm — steady
  5. snap — to click
  6. object — an aim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. object — a thing
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pop — to visit
  14. firm — decided
  15. last — final
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pop — soda
  20. object — to protest
  21. firm — a company
  22. pop — music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wax — in the ear

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