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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hand — in cards
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rest — a break
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. suit — to fit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hand — help
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. scale — in music

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