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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: perch · calf · rash · current · tube · wax · cap · fan

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — happening now
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rash — a series
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — a lid
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tube — a container
  20. current — electric
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — the underground
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — of water

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