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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. firm — a company
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. leaves — lets stay

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