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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: scale · row · perch · bore · clip · safe · rash · wax

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. clip — for paper
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bore — to tire
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rash — hasty
  16. row — a line
  17. bore — to drill
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rash — a series
  22. clip — to cut
  23. scale — in music
  24. clip — a video

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