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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. field — farmland
  9. mine — for digging
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. field — for sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — to recline
  18. field — a subject
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rash — a series
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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