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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lean — thin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. present — the time now
  10. lean — to bend
  11. march — music
  12. net — for catching
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — in sport
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. present — a gift
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. present — there
  22. net — after costs
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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