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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spell — magic
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tube — a container
  12. wax — to grow
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — a trace
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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