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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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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: squash · scale · land · wax · fan · wake · coach · stem

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. squash — to crush
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — in music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — a country
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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