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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 120 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: stem · saw · wax · capital · scale · mine · ruler · mug

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wax — to grow
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stem — to come from
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mine — for digging
  10. capital — a city
  11. mug — to rob
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mug — a face
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — money
  23. scale — in music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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