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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.

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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: craft · fine · pitch · perch · march · wax · lie · hand

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hand — help
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wax — to grow
  14. craft — boats
  15. fine — all right
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — a penalty

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