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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: object · wax · root · bound · perch · rule · saw · coach

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — to protest
  4. rule — a law
  5. wax — to grow
  6. root — the cause
  7. rule — government
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. root — of a word
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — certain
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. root — of a plant
  23. object — an aim
  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