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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: perch · land · mug · pop · stand · saw · suit · wax

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. suit — in cards
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. land — to come down
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pop — soda
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stand — to bear
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. suit — to fit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pop — to visit
  19. saw — the tool
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — the tool

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