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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. scale — in music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a ring
  7. scale — size or range
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spring — the season
  14. wax — to grow
  15. suit — in cards
  16. spring — a coil
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spring — of water
  20. band — a music group
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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