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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 116 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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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: rush · hide · perch · wind · lie · ground · rest · wax

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — a break
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wax — to grow
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — to turn a key

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