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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: root · perch · wax · club · snap · fan · trunk · firm

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. club — for golf
  3. firm — steady
  4. root — the cause
  5. club — for dancing
  6. snap — to click
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. club — a group
  14. firm — decided
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. root — of a word
  18. firm — a company
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. root — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wax — in the ear

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