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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fall — the season
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. file — a tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. dip — to sink
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — the fish
  22. file — a document
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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