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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rash — a series
  11. lean — thin
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. perch — the fish
  18. file — a document
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. file — a tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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