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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · kick · wax · shower · arm · field · pass · pop

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kick — in football
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. field — a subject
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. field — for sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pop — soda

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