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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 116 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: sharp · racket · wax · stem · perch · season · rush · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — decided
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stem — to come from
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. firm — steady

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