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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mug — to rob
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mug — a cup
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mug — a face
  9. present — the time now
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. swing — to play on
  14. present — there
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. perch — the fish
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — for sculpting

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