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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. club — for golf
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. kid — child
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — for dancing
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — to grow
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. club — a group
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — for light

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