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

Word bank: stick · fine · scale · wax · fork · staff · wind · lean

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. staff — employees
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fine — all right
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fork — in a road

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