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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: lean · key · perch · pound · bark · swing · suit · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lean — thin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — for a lock
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. perch — the fish
  10. key — in music
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bark — to shout
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. key — the most important part
  22. suit — in cards
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — for dogs

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