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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lean — thin
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. snap — to click
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wound — an injury
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kick — in football
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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