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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: wax · perch · mate · arm · court · leaves · jam · bound

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mate — a partner
  6. court — of law
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bound — certain
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — to breed
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wax — to grow

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