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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — to keep track
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. season — of the year
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — army training
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. track — a song
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — in sport
  24. scale — in music

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