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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — the fish
  5. press — to push
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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