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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. track — a song
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bore — to drill
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — hurry
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. track — to keep track
  17. kid — child
  18. track — a path
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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