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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.

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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.

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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: mouse · temple · hand · perch · pass · scale · wax · current

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hand — help
  3. current — of water
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hand — in cards
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. scale — in music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. current — electric

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