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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. spell — magic
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — a friend
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. spell — letters
  21. lean — thin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — to bend

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