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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — a price
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. firm — decided
  10. pound — a weight
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. perch — the fish
  17. firm — a company
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. clip — a video
  22. can — a tin
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. charge — in control

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