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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.

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
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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: wax · file · perch · chest · last · sharp · court · lash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. file — a document
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — to go on
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. file — a tool
  7. court — of a king
  8. chest — a box
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. court — of law
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wax — to grow
  18. last — final
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chest — of your body

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