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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bound — certain
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spell — letters
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cue — a hint
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — magic
  21. scale — in music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — tied together

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