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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: lash · clip · perch · kid · rest · wax · track · can

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wax — to grow
  3. perch — the fish
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — a break
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kid — child
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. clip — for paper
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — an eyelash

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