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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: wax · cell · lie · vault · scale · mark · band · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. scale — in music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. scale — size or range
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cell — a phone
  7. band — a ring
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mark — a grade
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stock — shares
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stock — a soup base

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