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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spring — a coil
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — in sport
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spring — the season
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. file — a tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. net — after costs
  15. spring — of water
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bass — low music
  21. file — a document
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. net — for catching

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