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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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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: sharp · lie · drill · wax · mug · kick · perch · track

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — to keep track
  6. drill — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — a song
  9. mug — a face
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lie — to recline
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kick — in football
  18. mug — a cup
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. track — a path
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. drill — army training
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. sharp — clever

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