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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.

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: firm · degree · lie · charge · fan · perch · wax · ball

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lie — to recline
  6. charge — electricity
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. firm — a company
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. degree — an amount
  18. firm — steady
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — a price
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fan — to cool the air

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