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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: temple · vault · wax · perch · fan · racket · sharp · scale

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. perch — the fish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wax — to grow
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. sharp — exactly

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