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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: snap · mate · wax · arm · charge · craft · wound · perch

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. snap — to click
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — a partner
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. charge — in control
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — a skill
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wound — an injury
  16. craft — boats
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wound — an injury
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. charge — a price
  23. mate — to breed
  24. charge — electricity

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