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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. board — a committee
  4. saw — the tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mate — a friend
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bear — to put up with

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