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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: object · shower · wax · perch · racket · clip · mouse · temple

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — rain
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — to cut
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. object — an aim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — a thing
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. object — to protest
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wax — to grow
  21. clip — a video
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. clip — for paper
  24. shower — to wash

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