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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: perch · wax · bear · file · club · trunk · straw · stand

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. club — a group
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. file — a document
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. file — a tool
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. club — for golf
  23. straw — a straw man
  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