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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. fork — in a road
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. firm — decided
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. firm — a company
  13. root — of a word
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. root — the cause
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. scale — in music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. root — of a plant
  23. scale — size or range
  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