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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: deal · calf · nail · ruler · wound · bowl · wax · scale

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. scale — in music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wax — to grow
  23. scale — size or range
  24. nail — for a hammer

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