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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 · ground · wax · perch · ruler · wake · capital · dip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — a city
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. perch — the fish
  22. dip — to sink
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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