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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. scale — size or range
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — of ice
  7. game — a match
  8. cap — a hat
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cap — a lid
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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