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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: stock · safe · mug · perch · rush · leaves · file · wax

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mug — a face
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wax — to grow
  7. file — a document
  8. stock — shares
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rush — hurry
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mug — to rob
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stock — goods
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. file — a tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a line of people

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