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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.

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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. game — a match
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. toast — bread
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. foot — a measure
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — help
  15. wax — to grow
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — a tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hand — in cards
  21. game — wild animals
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — the fish
  24. foot — part of the body

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