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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: scale · wax · mark · wake · nail · club · lean · object

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — to protest
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. scale — in music
  8. lean — thin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. club — for dancing
  12. object — a thing
  13. wax — to grow
  14. object — an aim
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. club — for golf
  23. lean — to bend
  24. club — a group

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