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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. net — for catching
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mug — a cup
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. net — in sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cap — a lid
  18. track — a song
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. scale — in music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. net — after costs
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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