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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: hide · wax · bank · ball · saw · chest · perch · race

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bank — of a river
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — humankind
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chest — a box
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ball — a great time
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a dance

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