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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: mouse · wound · press · wax · perch · deal · fine · stick

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — all right
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wax — to grow
  9. press — to push
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wound — an injury
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mouse — the animal

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