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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. hand — help
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. dip — to sink
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bat — the animal

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