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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. dip — to sink
  6. current — electric
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stem — to come from
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — happening now
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. straw — a straw man

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