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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 · mug · stem · spell · tube · scale · ruler · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spell — a short time
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. scale — in music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — magic
  22. mug — a cup
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. dip — to sink

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