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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 · root · cap · rush · spell · land · scale · stick

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. scale — in music
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spell — magic
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. land — a country
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — to come down
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. land — ground
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — letters
  23. cap — a hat
  24. scale — for weighing

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