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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — there
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. present — the time now
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. snap — to click
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — in a race

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