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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: wax · mate · track · cell · wound · scale · bulb · object

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wax — to grow
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. mate — a friend
  13. object — to protest
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. object — an aim
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cell — in biology
  20. track — a path
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wound — an injury
  23. scale — size or range
  24. track — a song

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