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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 120 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: field · object · fall · nail · scale · bulb · wax · ruler

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. field — farmland
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — size or range
  7. object — an aim
  8. bulb — for light
  9. object — to protest
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — a thing
  14. field — for sport
  15. scale — in music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. field — a subject
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fall — the season
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ruler — for measuring

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