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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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468
Word bank
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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fine — all right
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wax — to grow
  5. face — to point toward
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tube — a container
  9. rest — a break
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spell — letters
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. face — to confront
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spell — magic

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