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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: scale · saw · fall · rock · wax · stem · lean · current

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. current — happening now
  7. lean — thin
  8. current — of water
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — to come from
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. current — electric
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rock — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fall — the season

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