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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
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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: patient · current · spring · vault · present · wax · wake · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — the season
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — a trail
  5. present — there
  6. spring — a coil
  7. present — the time now
  8. scale — in music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. current — happening now
  13. spring — of water
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — of water
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wax — to grow
  20. current — electric
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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