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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wax — to grow
  4. squash — to crush
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — a price
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mate — a friend
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — the sport
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. charge — in control

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