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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. scale — in music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. scale — size or range
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. toast — bread
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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