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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. mug — a face
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mug — a cup

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