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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. field — farmland
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. suit — clothes
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. field — a subject
  15. perch — the fish
  16. suit — in cards
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. field — for sport
  22. cell — in biology
  23. chip — for betting
  24. safe — out of danger

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