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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.

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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: scale · can · squash · nail · foot · bass · rest · wax

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bass — low music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. scale — size or range
  13. can — a tin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. foot — a measure
  17. scale — in music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rest — a break
  24. nail — for a hammer

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