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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rash — a series
  4. capital — money
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ground — a position
  8. wax — to grow
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. capital — a city
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ground — crushed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — for money

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