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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — crushed
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fall — the season
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — a position
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wake — before a funeral

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