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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. season — of the year
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rock — music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. season — in sport
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. net — in sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. craft — boats
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. net — after costs

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