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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: rush · cabinet · bay · perch · sharp · content · wax · saw

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. content — the amount
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. content — happy
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wax — to grow

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