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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: last · firm · mouse · hide · perch · fall · wax · root

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. last — final
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. wax — to grow
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — to go on
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. perch — the fish
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. firm — a company
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — the cause
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. fall — to drop

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