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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: vault · wake · pass · wax · land · fan · scale · face

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. land — to come down
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. face — part of the head
  13. land — ground
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — a permit
  17. land — a country
  18. face — to confront
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pass — to spend time

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