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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: straw · wax · pass · ball · last · stand · pound · scale

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. last — to go on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pass — a permit
  9. scale — in music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. last — final
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. last — finally
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pound — a weight
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. scale — size or range

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