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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. perch — the fish
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. press — to push
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — help
  11. fork — in a road
  12. deal — to handle
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hand — in cards
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pound — a weight
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pound — for dogs

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