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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.

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 · sharp · racket · shower · perch · wake · wax · toast

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stand — to bear
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. perch — the fish
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. shower — rain

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