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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mate — to breed
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — a city
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mate — a partner
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. capital — money
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bulb — of a plant

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