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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
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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: hide · pop · wax · perch · charge · press · wind · cold

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wind — moving air
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pop — soda
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pop — to visit
  14. charge — a price
  15. press — to push
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. charge — in control
  19. wind — moving air
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cold — an illness
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — to keep secret

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