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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. shower — rain
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fine — all right
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a trace
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — electricity
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — a price
  24. perch — the fish

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