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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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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: pass · ruler · perch · stem · wax · chip · fall · safe

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fall — the season
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pass — a permit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stem — to come from
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stem — a stem cell

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