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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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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. season — of the year
  3. scale — size or range
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — to grow
  9. plane — a tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. season — in sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — to sink

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