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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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wax — to grow
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chest — of your body
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — a box
  19. fall — the season
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chest — of your body

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