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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · firm · wax · perch · pound · clip · charge · game

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — to grow
  5. game — wild animals
  6. clip — to cut
  7. firm — decided
  8. perch — the fish
  9. charge — in control
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. firm — steady
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. game — a match
  16. saw — the tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. firm — a company
  20. charge — electricity
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. charge — a price

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