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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 · key · wax · snap · stand · content · fine · bear

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stand — to bear
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. key — the most important part
  6. content — the amount
  7. wax — to grow
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fine — all right
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. key — in music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. key — for a lock
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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