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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 120 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: spell · hide · pound · perch · lean · wax · march · field

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. field — a subject
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lean — to bend
  5. field — farmland
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. spell — a short time
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spell — magic
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — thin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — for sport
  20. march — the month
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — letters
  23. march — music
  24. lean — to rest against

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