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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. perch — the fish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wax — to grow
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tear — from crying
  12. club — a group
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — for golf

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