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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. field — for sport
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. field — farmland
  13. hand — help
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hand — in cards
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — a subject
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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