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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wax — to grow
  16. suit — to fit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. race — a contest
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mug — a face
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wind — moving air

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