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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: scale · bore · wax · stand · spring · chip · trunk · perch

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. scale — in music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — to drill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stand — to bear
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spring — a coil
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stand — on your feet

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