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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. pop — soda
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pop — music
  9. craft — boats
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rock — a stone
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. branch — a division
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. craft — a skill
  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