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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mate — a partner
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — to breed

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