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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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. suit — in cards
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — a line
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. root — the cause
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bound — tied together

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