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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: fork · fan · perch · pitcher · firm · bore · wax · hide

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — a company
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — decided
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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