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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 124 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spring — the season
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spring — of water
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. staff — employees
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mug — a face
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. perch — for a bird

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