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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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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: pit · wake · perch · wax · pound · present · lean · mate

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — to grow
  8. present — there
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — the time now
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mate — a friend
  16. perch — the fish
  17. present — a gift
  18. lean — thin
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. perch — for a bird

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