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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. scale — size or range
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — the fish
  18. kick — in football
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cell — in biology
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kick — a thrill

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