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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.

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 · spell · bat · season · perch · fine · kick · land

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. season — in sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — high quality
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. perch — the fish
  7. kick — in football
  8. fine — all right
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spell — magic
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wax — to grow
  20. spell — a short time
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spell — letters
  23. season — of the year
  24. bat — the animal

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