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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 · march · lash · scale · leaves · key · fork · cell

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cell — in biology
  7. march — music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. key — the most important part
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fork — to eat with

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