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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: mouse · rock · band · chest · spell · wax · pass · scale

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. spell — magic
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. band — a ring
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pass — to succeed

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