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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: cue · scale · snap · wax · spell · safe · drill · bank

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — for money
  10. drill — a practice
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cue — a signal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. snap — to click
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spell — letters
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cue — a hint
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — of a river
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — army training
  24. scale — in music

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