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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — of law
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — to grow
  13. court — for sport
  14. suit — in cards
  15. perch — the fish
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. toast — bread
  21. can — to be able to
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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