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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: temple · nail · hand · rush · wax · perch · snap · fall

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. snap — to click
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rush — hurry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rush — a thrill

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