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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: stick · perch · tear · firm · racket · wax · arm · face

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. face — to confront
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. tear — from crying
  13. firm — decided
  14. face — part of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — a company
  22. tear — from crying
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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