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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: arm · perch · patient · firm · net · wax · stick · craft

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — steady
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. net — for catching
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. firm — a company
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — in sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. net — after costs
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. craft — a skill
  20. firm — decided
  21. perch — the fish
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. arm — part of the body

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