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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. band — a music group
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. band — a ring
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — boats
  22. fall — the season
  23. chair — a leader
  24. current — electric

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