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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: cue · nail · bulb · pitcher · wax · tear · wake · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cue — a signal
  24. scale — for weighing

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