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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — obliged
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rush — hurry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bass — the fish
  14. press — newspapers
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — certain
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. press — to push
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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