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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.

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: mark · perch · hide · fine · last · charge · prune · wax

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fine — high quality
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. charge — electricity
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — finally
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — the fish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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