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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: temple · current · mouse · pound · kid · wax · lie · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — electric
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lie — to recline
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. current — happening now
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. current — of water
  19. kid — child
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. kid — to tease
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pound — a weight

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