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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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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: wax · lash · stand · perch · hide · kid · stick · mine

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stand — to bear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kid — child

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