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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.

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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: mark · scale · rule · current · spring · wax · mine · bank

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wax — to grow
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spring — of water
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. rule — a law
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bank — for money
  12. current — electric
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — of a river
  20. scale — in music
  21. mark — a grade
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bank — for money

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