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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. perch — the fish
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. land — to come down
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. field — farmland
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — tied together
  16. land — a country
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. land — ground
  21. field — for sport
  22. bound — certain
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. field — a subject

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