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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. capital — a city
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. capital — money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. club — a group
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — the animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rest — what's left
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wax — to grow

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