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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: mine · root · clip · charge · wax · perch · jam · leaves

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. root — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — in control
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. clip — a video
  9. wax — to grow
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mine — for digging
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. clip — for paper
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. charge — a price
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. clip — to cut
  24. jam — a tight spot

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