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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · wax · current · plane · degree · scale · straw · lash

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. scale — size or range
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. degree — temperature
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. current — happening now
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — in music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fall — the season
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fall — to drop
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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