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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: wax · file · bark · perch · clip · pound · coach · charge

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. clip — a video
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. file — a document
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. file — a line of people
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. charge — in control
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pound — a weight
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. perch — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. file — a tool
  24. charge — electricity

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