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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.

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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: wax · perch · hide · arm · pop · cabinet · current · mark

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — the fish
  5. current — electric
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. current — of water
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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