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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: fine · mark · kid · wax · saw · snap · fan · perch

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fine — all right
  11. wax — to grow
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — a penalty

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