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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: clip · scale · firm · kid · wax · ruler · rush · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — a video
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. clip — to cut
  6. scale — size or range
  7. kid — to tease
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. firm — steady
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. clip — for paper
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kid — child
  22. firm — decided
  23. spell — magic
  24. firm — a company

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