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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: firm · net · row · fall · scale · mouse · wax · staff

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. row — a line
  5. wax — to grow
  6. firm — a company
  7. scale — in music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. net — after costs
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. net — for catching
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. net — in sport
  24. row — to paddle

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