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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: perch · fan · temple · scale · march · wax · roll · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. roll — a cake
  14. scale — in music
  15. march — music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. roll — a list
  22. perch — the fish
  23. march — the month
  24. temple — a place of worship

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