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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
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: can · mine · wax · perch · band · bear · chest · pit

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a ring
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pit — a hole
  13. band — a music group
  14. chest — of your body
  15. can — a tin
  16. perch — the fish
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — a box
  24. can — a tin

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