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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: shower · wax · safe · charge · lean · pop · staff · perch

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — soda
  6. staff — employees
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. charge — in control
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lean — to bend
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lean — thin
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — to visit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — rain

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