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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. charge — in control
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wax — to grow
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — electricity
  10. perch — the fish
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. present — the time now
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. present — a gift
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. present — there
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wax — in the ear

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