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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
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: perch · season · dip · mark · chip · bark · wax · firm

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bark — to shout
  3. firm — decided
  4. perch — the fish
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. firm — steady
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chip — to eat
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — a company
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chip — for betting
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mark — a trace

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