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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — a tin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fall — the season
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stem — to come from
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. can — a tin
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. scale — in music
  20. fine — all right
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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