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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.

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: lash · squash · wax · foot · perch · bound · bulb · lie

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — to recline
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bound — certain
  13. squash — the sport
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bound — tied together
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wax — to grow

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