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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: spell · nail · last · fall · date · perch · wax · stock

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. date — the fruit
  4. spell — a short time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. last — finally
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spell — magic
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. last — to go on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. last — final
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stock — shares
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — the season
  20. spell — letters
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — goods

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