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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.

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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: plane · wax · mouse · perch · bat · cell · bore · scale

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bat — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. scale — size or range
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. scale — in music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bore — to drill

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