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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — a permit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pit — a hole
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pit — in a race
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. can — a tin

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