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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rock — music
  8. hand — help
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. race — a contest
  16. wax — to grow
  17. race — humankind
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. saw — the tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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