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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a ring
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. perch — the fish
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wax — to grow
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bear — the animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. band — a music group
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wax — in the ear

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