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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.

Words on the sheet
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: scale · kick · stick · wax · game · row · wake · fan

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. row — a line
  4. game — a match
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. scale — in music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. scale — size or range

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