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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: perch · content · lean · bore · lie · scale · field · wax

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. scale — in music
  3. field — for sport
  4. content — the amount
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. scale — size or range
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — farmland
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bore — to tire
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — happy
  24. field — a subject

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