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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. net — for catching
  4. pop — music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — soda
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lie — to recline
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — for a bird
  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