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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. charge — electricity
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wax — to grow
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — a price
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bat — the animal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. leaves — of a tree

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