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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stem — to come from
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wax — to grow
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wind — moving air
  24. scale — size or range

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