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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: scale · can · fan · saw · wax · cabinet · pound · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. scale — in music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — to be able to
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wake — a trail

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