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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: file · spring · bay · scale · wax · bulb · can · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — size or range
  4. file — a tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. squash — the sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. file — a document
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. file — a line of people
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spring — the season
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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