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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fine — all right
  23. perch — for a bird
  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