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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 116 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
468
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: bear · pop · key · scale · cabinet · lash · prune · wax

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. scale — in music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — to grow
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pop — music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — in music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — the fruit

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