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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
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: pass · temple · wound · ball · perch · season · stick · wax

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — in sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pass — a permit
  16. season — of the year
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a dance
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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