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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: prune · temple · can · wax · wound · scale · spring · jam

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spring — the season
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — to grow
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. can — a tin

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