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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. perch — the fish
  8. present — a gift
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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