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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bass — low music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fall — to drop
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. fall — to drop
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fall — the season
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — a country
  24. bass — the fish

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