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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 116 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: suit · club · face · chair · perch · sharp · wax · spring

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. spring — of water
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. face — to confront
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. face — to point toward
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — clothes

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