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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: spell · object · wax · arm · face · wound · perch · tube

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spell — letters
  3. face — part of the head
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. perch — the fish
  6. tube — a container
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — to confront
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. spell — magic
  16. tube — the underground
  17. face — to point toward
  18. object — an aim
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. object — to protest
  22. spell — a short time
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wound — an injury

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