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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cue — a signal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lean — thin
  8. object — an aim
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — to handle
  14. object — to protest
  15. row — to paddle
  16. object — a thing
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rest — a break
  20. row — a line
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cue — for pool
  24. deal — a big deal

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