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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 · scale · wax · rest · fine · object · bear · stick

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. fine — all right
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — to protest
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. scale — in music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  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