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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — after costs
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wax — to grow
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. net — for catching
  13. perch — the fish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. net — in sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wax — in the ear

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