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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. clip — for paper
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. swing — music
  6. clip — to cut
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a great time
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. firm — decided
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. swing — to play on
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. clip — a video

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