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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — tied together
  4. craft — a skill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. row — a line
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lean — thin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. row — to paddle
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. roll — a list
  19. craft — boats
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fine — high quality
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fine — all right

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