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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wax — to grow
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. firm — decided
  9. bound — certain
  10. perch — the fish
  11. spell — a short time
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — a company
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spell — letters
  19. snap — to click
  20. firm — steady
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bound — obliged
  24. perch — for a bird

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