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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ground — a position
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wax — to grow
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — an untruth

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