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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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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: club · cell · lash · cap · scale · mouse · wax · mark

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cap — a lid
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. cap — of ice
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mark — a grade

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