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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · bulb · toast · wax · scale · spring · track · plane

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bulb — for light
  4. track — a song
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spring — a coil
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a path
  15. spring — the season
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. toast — bread
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spring — of water

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