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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. present — the time now
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lean — thin
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. present — there
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — wild animals
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. game — a match
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — to grow
  22. roll — a list
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wax — for sculpting

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