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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.

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: scale · fall · wax · drill · hide · bass · stem · fork

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. scale — in music
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fall — the season
  24. stem — a stem cell

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