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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.

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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.

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: stem · wax · rash · safe · bowl · perch · scale · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cold — not warm
  8. scale — in music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rash — a series
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — hasty

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