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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.

Make a worksheet

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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. charge — a price
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. charge — in control
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. band — a music group
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. game — wild animals
  17. content — the amount
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bank — for money
  20. band — a ring
  21. wax — to grow
  22. perch — the fish
  23. charge — electricity
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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