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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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. mug — a cup
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — to grow
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. object — an aim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — to protest
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bulb — for light
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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