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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a song
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. track — a path
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. scale — in music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. perch — the fish

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