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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: wax · can · chest · perch · snap · key · season · deal

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. key — in music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. can — to be able to
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — for a lock
  11. can — a tin
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. season — in sport
  19. chest — a box
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wax — to grow

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