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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · land · perch · mug · foot · mine · kick · jam

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. perch — the fish
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mug — to rob
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. land — to come down
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. land — ground
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mug — a face
  21. land — a country
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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