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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · rush · rest · arm · wax · scale · mine · key

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rush — hurry
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. key — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rest — a break
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wax — to grow
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. arm — 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