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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — to visit
  4. land — to come down
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pop — soda
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a trace
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wax — to grow
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — army training
  20. suit — in cards
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. pop — music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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