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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — the sport
  3. land — ground
  4. squash — to crush
  5. scale — in music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. land — to come down
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stem — to come from
  23. scale — size or range
  24. land — a country

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