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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
468
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: ruler · perch · suit · wax · rush · racket · fan · stem

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — to grow
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rush — hurry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ruler — for measuring

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