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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pop — to visit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. toast — bread
  10. swing — music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pop — music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pop — soda
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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