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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
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 · wind · racket · mine · object · pass · wax · saw

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. object — an aim
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — to grow
  9. object — a thing
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mine — for digging
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. object — to protest
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pass — to succeed
  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