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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. spell — a short time
  5. board — a committee
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pop — soda
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pop — music
  10. spell — magic
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. board — to get on
  21. spell — letters
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pop — to visit

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