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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: rush · perch · leaves · scale · wax · bark · cell · foot

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bark — to shout
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. scale — size or range
  11. perch — the fish
  12. foot — a measure
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. scale — in music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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