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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spring — the season
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — to go on
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. last — final
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wax — to grow
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spring — of water
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. last — finally
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wax — for sculpting

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