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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — to fit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spell — magic
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fine — all right
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. spell — letters

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