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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: stick · content · file · fine · trunk · bound · perch · wax

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — tied together
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — certain
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bound — obliged
  15. file — a tool
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. file — a document
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. content — the amount
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wax — to grow

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