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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · mouse · season · perch · wax · stand · wind · squash

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stand — to bear
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. season — of the year
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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