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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · cue · rest · wax · board · season · file · straw

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a document
  6. rest — a break
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — in music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. file — a tool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wax — to grow
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. scale — size or range
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. board — a committee
  24. season — in sport

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