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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: spell · cap · wax · scale · stick · staff · rash · rule

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — a series
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a hat
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — government
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rule — a law
  17. spell — magic
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cap — of ice
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wax — in the ear

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