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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · fan · current · wave · firm · lash · march · perch

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. firm — steady
  3. current — happening now
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — decided
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — music
  22. firm — a company
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — the fish

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