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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: wax · land · scale · squash · wave · mouse · fork · bank

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wax — to grow
  8. land — to come down
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. land — a country
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. land — ground
  18. scale — in music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — size or range

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