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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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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: perch · wax · saw · mug · scale · calf · pass · net

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — a cup
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wax — to grow
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a face
  11. scale — size or range
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — to rob
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. net — after costs
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. net — for catching
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wax — for sculpting

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