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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bound — certain
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. game — a match
  24. ball — a dance

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