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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lean — thin
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lean — to bend
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. branch — a division
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — happening now
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. perch — the fish
  24. track — a song

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