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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. scale — size or range
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spring — the season
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. vault — a safe
  14. current — electric
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. current — of water
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. scale — in music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — happening now
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wax — to grow

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