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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · track · can · scale · wax · coach · tube · last

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. track — a path
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — final
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — to grow
  8. can — a tin
  9. last — finally
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. scale — in music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. scale — size or range
  15. track — a song
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. last — to go on
  19. tube — the underground
  20. track — to keep track
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. tube — a container

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