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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 116 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: rest · bulb · scale · nail · wax · stick · march · swing

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — a break
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. march — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. scale — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. swing — to play on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. march — the month
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — for weighing

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