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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: pit · wax · season · spring · scale · rush · staff · can

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — of the year
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. spring — the season
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. staff — employees
  16. pit — a hole
  17. can — to be able to
  18. staff — a stick
  19. can — a tin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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