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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: rock · wax · spring · charge · spell · branch · scale · foot

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. charge — electricity
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. spell — a short time
  6. foot — a measure
  7. spring — the season
  8. spell — letters
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. spring — of water
  14. spell — magic
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — a stone
  18. charge — in control
  19. scale — size or range
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — a coil
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rock — music

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