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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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. file — a document
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wax — to grow
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wound — an injury
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. file — a tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — a friend

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