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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.

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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: roll · perch · wound · swing · mouse · wax · rest · stick

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — what's left
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. swing — music
  8. roll — a list
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rest — a break
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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