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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bulb — for light
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wax — to grow
  6. staff — a stick
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. root — of a plant
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. scale — in music
  18. roll — a list
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — the cause
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cabinet — ministers

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