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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. snap — to click
  6. wax — to grow
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. march — the month
  9. deal — to handle
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — the fish
  23. march — music
  24. tube — the underground

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