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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 116 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: bank · drill · perch · last · tube · firm · net · wax

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — for money
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. net — in sport
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bank — of a river
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. drill — the tool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. firm — steady
  16. last — final
  17. bank — for money
  18. last — to go on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. net — for catching
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. last — finally
  23. firm — a company
  24. net — after costs

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