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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bound — certain
  3. chair — a leader
  4. object — to protest
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wax — to grow
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. club — a group
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — an aim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to click
  16. object — a thing
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. club — for golf
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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