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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — a series
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. perch — the fish
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to click
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wax — to grow
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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