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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. land — a country
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. wax — to grow
  12. land — to come down
  13. bear — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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