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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. deal — to handle
  6. last — to go on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cue — a signal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wax — to grow
  24. deal — a big deal

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