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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. craft — a skill
  8. scale — in music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. craft — boats
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. plane — a tool
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wax — in the ear

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