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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: wax · chest · perch · lie · prune · arm · charge · mark

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mark — a trace
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chest — a box
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — a price
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — to recline
  24. arm — part of the body

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