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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. suit — to fit
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. court — of law
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. suit — clothes
  19. court — for sport
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. suit — in cards
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wax — to grow

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