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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: foot · perch · kick · bay · chair · wake · stock · wax

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — shares
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. foot — a measure
  6. kick — in football
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stock — goods
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stock — a soup base

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