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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cue — a signal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to click
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cue — for pool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cue — a hint
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. drill — the tool

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