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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: arm · perch · wax · firm · stand · fork · spring · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. firm — decided
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spring — the season
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spring — of water
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. firm — a company
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. firm — steady
  22. fork — in a road
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. spring — a coil

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