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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: wax · roll · bound · press · firm · perch · prune · nail

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. firm — decided
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. roll — a list
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. press — to push
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — steady
  18. bound — obliged
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. firm — a company
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. perch — for a bird

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