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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. scale — in music
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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