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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: arm · perch · bay · pitcher · hide · wax · wake · mate

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mate — to breed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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