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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rule — government
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mug — a face
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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