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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 · kick · club · branch · scale · vault · rest · spell

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spell — magic
  3. scale — size or range
  4. club — a group
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spell — a short time
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. spell — letters
  9. kick — in football
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. wax — to grow
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rest — a break
  20. branch — a division
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. scale — in music

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