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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. chest — a box
  3. spell — a short time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chest — of your body
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. root — of a word
  13. chest — of your body
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. spell — letters
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — magic
  21. roll — a list
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  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