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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 116 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: wound · shower · fine · scale · object · present · deal · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. scale — in music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. present — the time now
  6. scale — size or range
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. object — an aim
  10. present — there
  11. fine — high quality
  12. present — a gift
  13. fine — all right
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — to protest
  19. wound — an injury
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. object — a thing
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. shower — rain
  24. scale — for weighing

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