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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 120 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: wind · chip · wax · bulb · perch · fan · march · scale

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wax — to grow
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. march — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — for betting
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fan — to cool the air

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