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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — in music
  4. race — a contest
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. race — the arms race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. race — humankind
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rest — a break
  24. wax — to grow

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