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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. craft — a skill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rush — hurry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. craft — boats
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bear — to put up with

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