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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · wound · current · wax · perch · pit · rash · staff

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — an injury
  7. current — of water
  8. rash — a series
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. perch — the fish
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rash — hasty
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — happening now

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