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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: content · stock · wax · wave · perch · saw · row · can

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. content — happy
  9. stock — goods
  10. perch — the fish
  11. row — a line
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — to paddle
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. content — the amount

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