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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — to grow
  4. current — happening now
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. present — the time now
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. perch — the fish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. current — electric

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