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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — a committee
  24. bear — to put up with

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