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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cold — not warm
  4. key — in music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chip — for betting
  7. perch — the fish
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. face — to confront
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. key — the most important part
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cold — an illness

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