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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fall — to drop
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — from a university
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. degree — temperature
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — the season
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pop — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — the fish

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