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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. march — music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — the fish

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