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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. spell — magic
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — of ice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — obliged
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — tied together

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