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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: trunk · chair · stand · perch · craft · bear · wax · squash

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. squash — the sport
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wax — to grow
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. squash — to crush
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. craft — a skill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. perch — the fish

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