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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: pop · race · lash · nail · lie · perch · wax · fall

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pop — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — soda
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — humankind
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. race — the arms race
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. race — a contest

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