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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spell — magic
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. shower — to wash
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. suit — to fit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. suit — in cards
  21. shower — rain
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. coach — a trainer

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