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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitch — completely
  6. file — a tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a document
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. lie — to recline
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. perch — for a bird

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