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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. plane — a tool
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. charge — electricity
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bore — to tire
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — to sink
  22. file — a line of people
  23. charge — in control
  24. dip — a sauce

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