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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.

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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: bore · tear · wax · rash · suit · perch · fan · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — a grade
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bore — to drill
  16. perch — the fish
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rash — a series
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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