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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. rock — a stone
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rock — music
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spring — the season
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spring — of water
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — music
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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