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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.

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: can · cell · bowl · lean · wax · trunk · scale · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cell — a phone
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. scale — size or range
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. spell — magic
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. scale — in music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spell — letters

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