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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.

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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. scale — in music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. staff — employees
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bank — for money
  17. wax — to grow
  18. staff — employees

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