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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bound — certain
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — a hat
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cap — of ice
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. foot — a measure
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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