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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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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 · stick · stem · ruler · scale · temple · rest · cap

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rest — a break
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wax — to grow
  14. scale — in music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rest — what's left

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