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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: trunk · wax · charge · cap · perch · stand · kick · mate

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mate — to breed
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cap — of ice
  9. charge — electricity
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wax — to grow
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. kick — in football
  23. perch — the fish
  24. trunk — of a car

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