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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.

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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: wax · pound · cap · coach · perch · patient · temple · squash

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cap — a hat
  4. squash — the sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — of ice
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cap — a lid
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — a weight

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