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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
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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: perch · rash · wax · fork · present · wound · mine · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — a series
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rash — hasty
  10. key — in music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mine — an explosive

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