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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — a stone
  4. plane — a tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. march — the month
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. march — music
  17. rock — music
  18. rest — a break
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wax — in the ear

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