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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: bass · last · pass · ruler · calf · nail · wax · scale

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. bass — low music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. last — finally
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wax — to grow
  10. last — final
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. scale — in music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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