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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wax — to grow
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. perch — the fish
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — in the ear

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