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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
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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: spring · ruler · foot · bound · wax · mate · scale · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. spring — the season
  8. scale — size or range
  9. object — an aim
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — to grow
  12. scale — in music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mate — to breed
  18. object — a thing
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bound — certain

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