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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lean — thin

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