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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · wax · game · perch · mine · temple · key · club

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. club — a group
  8. key — for a lock
  9. game — a match
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mine — for digging
  13. key — the most important part
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. perch — the fish
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. saw — the tool

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