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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rash — a series
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chip — for betting
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rash — hasty
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. foot — a measure

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