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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. last — final
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wax — to grow
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. swing — to play on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — a face
  13. last — to go on
  14. perch — the fish
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. swing — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — finally
  20. swing — in golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — a cup
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wax — for sculpting

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