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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. file — a document
  4. perch — the fish
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — in football
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — to grow
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — the season
  13. file — a tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — tied together
  16. file — a line of people
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — an aim
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. object — to protest

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