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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: row · wax · bulb · chest · mug · hand · ball · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chest — a box
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chest — of your body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — a face
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hand — help
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hand — part of the body

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