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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: wave · can · bay · bear · wax · court · foot · perch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. perch — the fish
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. court — of law
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of a king
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. court — for sport

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