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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: lash · last · wax · perch · stick · suit · capital · march

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. capital — money
  9. last — to go on
  10. march — the month
  11. capital — a city
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. march — music
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — finally
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. last — final

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