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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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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: temple · cell · wax · stick · scale · bank · rest · object

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wax — to grow
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — an aim
  11. cell — in biology
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. object — a thing
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rest — a break
  22. object — to protest
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wax — for sculpting

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