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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · temple · stand · staff · prune · scale · root · tube

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tube — the underground
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. root — of a plant
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tube — a container
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — size or range
  17. root — of a word
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. staff — employees
  24. root — the cause

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