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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 120 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: mouse · wound · pound · pass · fine · race · wax · perch

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. pound — a weight
  14. race — humankind
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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