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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — to grow
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. key — in music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. safe — out of danger
  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