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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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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: bank · dip · chair · wax · perch · wave · row · trunk

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chair — a leader
  11. row — a line
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. perch — the fish
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wax — in the ear

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