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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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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: lean · saw · wax · capital · stick · rule · perch · pound

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lean — thin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pound — a weight
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rule — a law
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rule — government
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. capital — money
  22. lean — to bend
  23. capital — a city
  24. perch — for a bird

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