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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. tear — from crying
  4. drill — army training
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wax — to grow
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fine — all right
  18. drill — the tool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — high quality
  24. march — music

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