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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.

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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 · can · stem · band · scale · lie · dip · drill

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lie — to recline
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. can — to be able to
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. drill — army training
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. scale — in music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. band — a music group
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. band — a ring
  24. wax — in the ear

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