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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · hide · wax · spell · charge · content · stand · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stand — to bear
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spell — letters
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. content — happy
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. content — the amount
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. wax — to grow
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — a price
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spell — magic

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