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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: coach · arm · perch · wax · date · mug · temple · saw

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wax — to grow
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. date — the fruit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. perch — the fish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mug — a cup
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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