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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — thin
  8. pop — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pop — soda
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — in biology
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitch — completely
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cell — a phone

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