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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pop — to visit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — to grow
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — decided
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — music
  18. firm — steady
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wind — moving air
  21. firm — a company
  22. pop — soda
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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