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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: wax · wound · perch · court · rash · hide · mate · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. court — of a king
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hand — help
  13. mate — a friend
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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