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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: wax · fine · scale · jam · drill · safe · tube · branch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. scale — in music
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fine — all right
  16. tube — the underground
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wax — to grow
  19. drill — a practice
  20. branch — a division
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tube — in a tire
  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