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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 116 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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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: rock · scale · firm · stem · fall · wax · kid · squash

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. firm — steady
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — a company
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rock — music
  12. kid — child
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. squash — the sport
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fall — the season
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fall — to drop
  24. squash — the vegetable

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