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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. game — a match
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bass — low music
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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